Snow remover



d Jan. 29, 1924.

1,482,048 F. D. STEPHENSON snow REMOVER Filed May 28, 1923 3 sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1924. 1,482,048

- F. D. STEPHENSON snow REMOVER Filed May 2 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 go Q a Jan, 29, 1924. 1,482,048

F. D. STEPHENSON SNOW REMOVER Filed May 28 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet fioveniior ow-w Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

PATENT OFFIC ,FBED n. STEPHENSO1\T, OF oscEoLA, IOWA.

, snow REMOVER...

Application filed May 28, 1923. Serial No. 642,135.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED-D. STEPHEN- SON, a citizen of the United States, and resi-, dent of Osceol'a, in the county of Clarke and 5 State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow Removers, of which the following is a specification.

Whenever there is heavy snow fall, parlo ticularly in the rural districts, the roads are frequently blocked, sometimes for long periods, thereby resulting in loss of time, money, and various inconveniences.

An object of my invention is the provi-' 1.3 sion of a simple and efficient device by which the snow may be rapidly removed fromthe roadway and deposited at thesides thereof, thereby clearing a path for traflic. j

A further object is the provision of such a 20 device that may be placed in position on an automobile or truck and thus moved at desired speed without the necessity of the construction of any specific form of vehicle.

A further object is to provide a device in 25 which the snow is first loosened and then blown violently to the sides of the road way, the cutting and fan elements being mounted at the front of the vehicle and driven by an auxiliary engine mounted in the rear part.

so Specifically, the invention provides two large circular carriers mounted to revolve,

andeach carrying two fan blades as well as two cutting elements, the device when assem- 1 bled having the fan blades on one circular as carrier at approximately right angles to those on the other.

Other objects will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims.

In the drawings: a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in position on an automobile or truck.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a front view of the fans and the cutting attachments.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a disassembled view of the fan mechanism.

There is illustrated a truck having a body A, wheels B, engine hood'C, radiator D, steering wheel E and wind shield F. These parts form no partof my invention and may be of any old or desired construction.

A frame is formed of longitudinal side bars 1 and 2, a front cross bar '3, a rear cross bar 4, and intermediate cross bars 5 and 6. These bars are of desired size and are secured together in any manner to form a frame of the necessary strength and rigidity. It is supported. upon the truck' body and mayhave bracing elements indicated at 7 at the front to engage the front axle or other parts.- Other braces -may be provided as found necessary or desirable.

A longitudinal shaft 8 is mounted near one side in bearings 9, 10 and 11 on the A frame members 5, 6 and 3 respectively, and

on the other side a longitudinal shaft 12 is mounted in bearingsl3, 14 and 15 on the frame members 5, 6' and 3 respectively. The shafts 8 and 12 terminate in bevel gears 16 and 17. Short frame members 18, 19 and 20 are interposed between the frame members 4 and 5, and a transverse shaft 24 is mounted in bearings 21, 22 and 23 on these members 18, 19 and 20 respectively. This shaft 24 has bevel gears and31 at its ends adapted to mesh with the bevel gears 16and 17. The shaft-24 also carries a pulley 25 about which runs a belt 26 which also runs about a pulley 27 driven by an engine 28 having a flywheel 29. This engine will be preferably of from four to eight horse power, and can be mounted in the body of the truck or supported therein in any desired manner. When the engine is operated to turn the shaft 24 in the direction of the arrow, the shafts 8 and 12 will obviously be rotated in the direction of the arrows.

On the front end of each of the shafts 8 and 12 is carried the snow removingelement which will now be described in detail. A hub 32 fits over the shaft and is provided with a plurality of spokes 33, four as shown, which are attached at their outer ends to a rim 34. A disc member 35 has an opening which fits over the shaft and against the hub 32. It is held in position by being fastened to the rim, or in anysuitable manner retained in definite position to the shaft. N specific fastening means has been illustrated since this is not a part of the invention.

Each disc carries two fan elements 36 which are generally wedge shaped from ,end to end, and each one extends from one edge of the disc to and beyond the opposite edge. the wide portion of each fan element being that which extends beyond the disc, as clearly illustrated. The fan blades lieparallel on opposite sides of the shaft and close thereto, and have their wide portions at opposite sides of the disc.

To each fan blade is securedan angle member 37'by which the blades are secured 'to the disc. The angle members 37 have fiat portions which are bolted or otherwise secured to the discs 35. A brace 38 extends Also attached by bolts or similar fas? tening means to the dlscs 35 are metal strips 39 that extend outwardly farther than the fan blades and have attached to their outer end cutting elements 40 preferably of the formshown in the drawings, although other forms may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

These cutting elements 40 serve toloosen drifted snow and enable thefan blades to sweep it to one side by the rush of air as well as by direct contact therewith. ,If the device is used for'the first soft snowfall, these cutting elements may be omitted.

The circledescribed by the tips of the cutting elements when the device is in rotation may be about seven feet, and the two devices on the front ofthe machine are close enough together so that the paths of revolution of these cutting blades will somewhat overlap asshown in Figure 3. There is never any interference between the'blades carried by the two discs, since as is seen in Figure 3, where thetwo devices are rotating in opposite directions, each toward the center, only one device can be at the intersecting portion of the arcs at the same time.

The fan blades are also preferablyplaced on the two devices so that they stand at right angles to each other whenever one is vertical, and notwithstanding the fact that they rotate toward each other, thecurrents of air caused thereby will not conflict, By having the two devices rotate as shown. the movement of the blades towards each other occurs on the upper part of their paths of travel, whereno work is being performed, while when the blades are performing work,

- they are travelling downward and outward from each other. A

Devices of the size and character described maybe rotated at from two to four hundred revolutions per minute and will clear the roadway through six foot drifts for a space of from twelve to fourteen feet. The rate of advance will depend upon the character of the snow and depth thereof, but good progress can be made under the most difficult situations.

It will be evident that detail changes may be made in the construction of the device. The exact size, proportions, materials, and precise method of assembling the parts can direction of rotation.

be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention- In .general it may be stated that the invention is limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: a

1. A snow remover comprising a frame adapted to be supported by a truck, shafts extending longitudinally thereof, means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, a circular frame carried byeach of said shafts in front of thetruck, each circular frame having two fan blades carried thereby side by side and extending beyond the circumference of the frame, each blade tapering from itsouter wide portion to the opposite side of the frame, the two blades of each frame tapering in opposite directions, and cutting elements carried by the frame and extending outwardly farther than the fan blades.

2. A show remover comprising a frame adapted to be supported by a truck, shafts extending longitudinally thereof, means for rotatinmsaid shafts inopposite directions, a circu ar framecarried by the front end of each shaft, each frame having two parallel fan blades tapering in opposite directions from their outer ends which lie'beyond the circumference of the circular frame, to the other side of the frame, and cutting elements carried by said frame and in advance of the fan blades in the direction of rotation.

3.7A snow remover comprising two shafts, means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, and a snow removing device mounted on the front end of. each of said shafts, each device comprising a circular rim and a. disc mounted on the shaft, two fan blades lying parallel across said disc close to the end of the shaft, and tapering in opposite directions from their ends which lie outside the rim to the op posite side of the rim, angleirons attached to the fan blades and disc,'braces extending from the outer end of each fan blade tothe rim, and cutting elements carried b the device in advance of the fan blades.

4. A snow remover comprising "a rotatable shaft, means for rotating the same, a snow removing device mounted on the front end of the shaft and comprising a hub on the shaft supporting a circular rim, a disc also mounted on the shaft adjacent the rim, two fan blades tapering in opposite directions from their wideends beyond one side of the rim to the opposite side of the rim,

means for attaching the fan blades to the 7 disc, and two cutting elements attached to the disc and extending beyond the fan blades, but lying in advance thereof in the 5. A snow remover comprising a rotatable shaft, means for rotating the same, a snow removing device mounted on the front of the shaft and comprising a hub on the shaft supporting a circular rim, a disc also mounted on the shaft adjacent the rim, tWo fan blades lying parallel and each extending from one side of the rim substantially along a diameter to beyond the other side of the rim, said fan blades tapering in opposite directions from their larger outer ends, means for holding the fan blades to the discs, braces extending from the outer ends of the blades to the rim, andcutting elements extending beyond the fan'blades.

6. A snow remover comprising two shafts, means for rotating the same in opposite directions, support on the front end of each shaft, fan blades and cutting elements carried by said support, the fan blades on one support being at substantially right angles to those on the other When one is vertical, and the cutting elements mounted so as not to interfere although theirv paths of movement. intersect.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRED D. STEPHENSON. 

